Fender



A. M. LEISSE Oct. 20, 1925- FENDER Filed Aug. 29. 1924 L. w W

Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

ARTHUR M. LEISSE, or s'r. nonrsnrssoom;

FENDER.

Application filed August 29,1924. Serial N0. 734,866

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, ARTH R M. Lnrssn, a 4 citizen of the United States, residin at the city of St. Louis, in the State of lVTissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fenders, of which the followingis a specification.

This invent on relates to fenders for vehicles, such as street cars, automobiles and the like. I I

One of the objectsof the present invention is to provide a fender which will lower automatically when impacted by an obstacle.

Another object is thGjPI'OVlSlOIl of means whereby'the fender willaautomatically lift the object struck thereby and carry the same.

, Another purposeis to provide means for adjusting the fender to operate in any desired position. i

Another object is to, provide a fender which will when colliding with an animal or person, yield suflicientlyunder the force of the impact to prevent serious injury thereto.

It is further aimed to supplement the automatic features of the fender by means whereby it may be operated manually, thus insuring positive action should the automatic operation fail for any reason.

Another object .is to provide a fender '7 on the line 22 in Figure 1.

A pair of supporting frames or brackets 1 are secured at their lower ends preferably to the front axle 2 of a motor vehicle, by means of bolts 3, which pass'through the caps 4 and are threaded into feet or lugs 5 of the brackets 1, thus clamping the aXle2 between the caps 4: and the feet 5. The brackets 1 are preferably mounted at each side of the hood 6. The upper end of the-brackets 1 contain mutually alined bearings 7, in which are journaled pivot pins 8, formed integral or in fixed relation to a frame 9 depending therefrom.

14 connecting the The frame 9comprises short arms 10, projecting forwardly from the pins S, a hori- Zontal upper bar 11 extending transversely across the front of the vehicle and fixed-to the front ends of the arms'lO, depending arms 12, fixed attheirupper ends to the pins 8 and having their lower ends 18 bent over at right anglestoward one another, and bars opposing arms 12; intermediately.

Washers 15' of softfm'atcrial gripped on either sideby serratedwa shers16 of hard material are interposed-between the arms 10 and bearings 7 on the. pins 8, and'nuts 17 on the inwardly projecting threaded ends '18'of' the pins 8 bear against the inner sides of'thc bosses 7 -to clamp frame 9; in fixed relation to the brackets 1. 4 This method of clamping atthe pivotal point, however, is insufiicient to prevent the rearward swinging of the frame 9 should the fenderjsuddenly meetan obstacle, and, therefore, additional means are provided to limit the rearward movement of theframe 9. Such means comprises i the arms 19, projectin from the brackets 1 towards a bar 14, pre erablythe lower one,

of the frame 9. The arm 19 is vbifurcated at its forward end, the rod 14: entering between the prongs 20 into a wedge-shaped slot 21,

formed by thespreading of, the prongs 20;

When the fender is impacted, the shock is mitigated by reason of the rod. 14 yielding under pressure to wedge further into the slot 21, spreading the resilient prongs 20 further apart, and thus' more gradually absorbing the kinetic energy of the impact be cause of the resulting progressively increasing friction of the rod lt on the prongs 20.

Arms 22v are pivoted about the ends 13,

which ends 13 are threadedfor the reception of tightly fitting nuts 23 'adjacent the outer sides of the arms 22, and loosely fitting adjusting nuts 24 and check nuts 25 adjacent the inner; sides of the arms 22. Arms 22 are braced together'by rod 26 near the; ends 13,

and by a fender lower bar 27 attheirfree V ends.

Flexible strips 28 are arrangedtransversely to the bars-11 and127, bei g, fixed in any common manner as'byweldingyat their up- 7 ,per ends to upper bar 11," andv at their lower ends to lower bar 27. Strips or bands 29,

preferably formed'of springv steel and normally bent arcuate as. shown in full lines inFigure 2, assist in maintaining the fender in' (normal initial position. The flexible strips 28 '1nay,'also, be of steel, and may, also, be resilient in the direction of flexure, and bent arcuate, as are the strips 28. Preferably, however, thefbllrden of maintaining the fender in normal position should devolve on the strips 29.

The operation is as follows: The fender is normally in the position indicated by full lines in Figure-2, the bar 27 being at a suit-' able height so as to clear irregularities in the surface of the road. Free vibration of the-arms 22 and bar 27 is prevented by suitably adjusting nuts 24 and 25 to create sufficient friction between the arms 22 and the nutsvon either side thereof. Arms 22 may, also, be adjusted to positions above or below normal, and held thereto by suitable pressure of nuts23, 24, and 25. Vhen a body is struckby bar 27, the impact lowers bar 2 7 and'stretches flexible members 28, thereby decreasing theopening between bar 27 and the surface of the road and minimizing the possibility of the fender passing over the body, as shown in, dotted lines in Figure Q. The lowerpart of the body is thus carried forward in advance of its upper part, which upperpart is subsequently impactedbyan intermediate part of the strips 28, causing the strips 28 to yield under the impact and assume the lifted extreme arcuate position shown in broken lines in Figure 2, thus lifting the body and carrying it, vinstead of dragging it alongthe road. The fender may be operated manually by a lever 30, within-convenient reachof the operator, fulcrumed at 31 to a bracket 32, secured, preferably, to the underside-0f the vehicle .fioor 3,3, he lower arm of the lever is pivoted at 134 130 ajlink f'35, pivoted at 3;6--to arm 37, integral with arm 22.

The 36 may be removed from the arm 37, thereby disconnecting link and {arm "it; 3'], whereby, upon loosening nuts 17, the

frame 9 and associated parts may be swung upwardly about the pivot 8 and over the hood 6 of the ear, thereby permitting access to the inner side of the fender and the front of the car normally covered thereby for purposes of repairs and the like.

Havingthus described this invention, I

hereby-reserve'the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or useof parts, as t is evident thatmany minor'changes may bemadeftherein without departing from the spirit of this invention orthe scope of the following claims. I claim: L

1. Ag fender comprising a pair of elements diverging from a mutual pivotal connection,

flexible fending means connecting "the diverging portlons of Said elements, and limiting swinging movement of said elements away from each other and then causingone element to jswing back towards the other ele- "fnentto a point beyond its normal position for flexing of the flexible means into a pocket formation.

2. In a fender, upper and lower elements diverging from armutual pivotal connection, spring means normally tending to maintain said elements in a predetermined initial position and yieldably prevent movement in a diverging direction, and flexible fending and catching means carried by said upper and lower elements.

3. The combination of a supporting member, a fender havingan upper portion pivoted to the supporting ,member and a lower portion pivoted to the upper portion, means a ber, a fender having an upper portion pivoted to the supporting member and a'lower portion pivoted to the upper portion, means for limiting the rearward swing of the said upper portion of said fender, means for yieldably preventingswinging ofthe ,upper andlower portions in one direction from theirpoint of pivoted connection to each other, and flexible fending means carried by the said fenderportions.

The combination of a supporting member and a fending member p'ivotedthereto, each of said members bearing a frictional surface which wedges against the frictional surface .of the other to'limit the movement in one direction. r

.6. In a fender construction, mounting means adapted for connection with the front endof a vehicle, an upper frame member pivotally mounted at its upper end by said mounting means, a lower frame member pivotally connected with the lower portion of the upper frame member, said mounting means being provided with means for engaging the upper frame member and limiting rearward movement thereof, resilient strips secured to theupper portion of the upper frame member and to the lower portion of the lower frame member and yield ably resisting rearward swinging movement of the lower frame member, and flexible body-engaging and supporting means carried by the upper and lower frame members and limiting rearward swinging of the lower frame member relative to the upper frame member.

7, In a fender construction, mounting brackets adapted for connection with the forward portion of a vehicle at opposite sides thereof in a vertical position and having forwardly extending arms provided with yieldable fingers, a frame having an lilO upper member pivoted at its upper endto the upper-ends of said brackets and a lower member pivoted to the lower end of the upper frame member, said upper frame memher having abutment means for engaging said fingers and limiting rearward swinging of the upper frame member, resilient means yieldably resisting rearward swinging of the arm projecting from the lower bar and another arm projecting from the upper bar, the said arms being pivotally connected one to the other.

10. In a fender, the combination with a support, of a frame pivotally depending therefrom and comprising an upper bar and a pair of depending arms, a frame comprising a lower bar and a pair of arms in pivotal relation to the said depending arms of the first-mentioned frame, and a plurality of flexible strips connecting the said bars.

11. In a fender, the combination with a support, of a frame pivotally depending therefrom and comprising an upper bar and a pair of depending arms, a frame comprising a lower bar and a pair of arms in pivotal relation to the said depending arms, and a plurality of normally arcuate resiliently flexible strips connecting the said bars. i

12. In a fender, the combination with a supporting frame, of a second frame pivotally depending therefrom and comprising an upper bar and a pair of depending arms, each of said frames havinga frictional surface which wedges against the frictional surface of the other to limitthe rearward swing of the second frame, a third frame comprising a lower bar and a pair of arms in pivotal relation to the said depending arms of the second frame, and a plurality of flexible strips connecting the said bars.

13. In a fender, the combination with a supporting frame presenting a wedgeshaped slot; a second frame pivotally depending therefrom and comprising an upper bar, a pair of dependingarms, and a second bar connecting the said arms and adapted for engaging the said wedge-shaped slot to limit the movement of said second frame; a third frame comprising a lower bar and a pair of arms pivoted to the said depending arms,- and a plurality-of flexible strips connecting the said upper and lower bars. m "'7 7 Q 14, In a: fender, a pair of frames, each of which presents an arm which ispivoted to an arm of the other, screw means for' adjusting the friction at the pivots offsaid arms, and flexible Jstrips conn ectingsaid frames. s" I 15L-In a fender, a pair of frames,eachv of which presents an arm which is pivoted to an arm of the other, screw means for. adjusting the friction at the-pivots of said arms, and resiliently flexible strips connecting said frames.

16. In a fender, a pair of frames, each of which presents an arm which is pivoted to an arm of the other, screw means for adjusting the friction at the pivots of said arms, and normally arcuate'resiliently flexible strips connecting said frames.

'17. In a fender, the combination with a support, of a frame pivoted thereto and comprising an upper bar and a pair of depend ing arms, a second frame comprising a lower bar and a pair of arms pivoted to the said depending arms, screw means for adjusting the friction at the pivots of said arms, and flexible strips connecting said bars. c

18. In a fender, the combination with a support, of a frame pivoted thereto and comprising an upper bar and a pair of depending arms, a second frame comprising a lower bar and a pair of arms pivoted to the said depending arms, screw means for adjusting the friction at the pivots of said arms, and resiliently flexible strips connecting said bars.

19. In a fender, the combinationwith a support, of a frame pivoted thereto and comprising an upper bar and a pair of dependmg arms a second frame comprising alower bar and a pair of arms pivoted to the said depending arms, screw means for adjusting the friction at the pivots of said arms, and normally arcuate resiliently flexible strips connecting said bars.

20. In a fender, t-hecombination with a supporting frame, of a second frame pivoted thereto and comprising an upper bar and a pair of depending arms, each of said frames having a frictional surface which wedges against the frictional surface of the other to limit the rearward movement of the second frame, a third frame comprising a lower bar and a pair of arms pivoted to the said depending arms, screw means for adjusting frames having a frictional surface which wedges against the frictional surface of the other to limit the rearward movement of the second frame, a third frame comprising a lower bar and a pair of arms pivoted to the said depending arms, screw means for adjusting the friction of said arms about 'tlieir pivots, and a plurality of resilient strips connecting said bars.

22. In a fender, the combination With a suppor ing frame, of a second. frame pivoted thereto and comprising an upper bar and a pair of depending arms, each 'ofsaid "l-owerba'r and a pair of arms pivoted to the said depending arms, screw means for adjusting the friction of said arms about their 20 pivots, and a plurality of normally areuate resilient strips-connecting said bars.

:lntestimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

' ARTHUR M. LEIssE. 

